Contra: Enchanted Corps
by WarioMan3K
Summary: A little experiment of my own, though I'm not one to hog all the credit: After having read a couple crossover fics revolving around Sofia the First by fellow writer Ghost Archer, I thought why not try my hand at a Contra/Sofia the First fic? This will be separate from all my other stories I've ever done, but it'll be based on the Sega Genesis's smash hit, Contra: Hard Corps.
1. Prologue

Now that I've finished one of my fanfics, GJA #1: Video Game Boss Insanity, all the while including the main cast of _Sofia the First_ alongside the Disney Princesses, I thought about trying a little experiment based on a couple crossover fics I read on (both of which were written by Ghost Archer, by the way). Now I know for a fact that _Sofia the First_ is meant for preschoolers, but I gotta hand it to the folks at Disney: they had the right idea on where to go. On top of that, I also had to watch a couple episodes of that show on DVD with my older cousin's three kids (they all love _Sofia the First_) to see its premise is about, and how the characters interact with one another. I did look up the Disney wiki site on the show too, though. Oh, and one final note: **this story is separate from both of my fanfic series, Diamond City Chronicles and Game-Jumping Adventures, just so you know.**

Other than that, enjoy my Contra/Sofia the First crossover fic, but first, a brief introduction on the characters and the power-ups our heroes will put to use as the story flows...

**DISCLAIMER: Contra is owned by Konami, whereas Sofia the First is a property of Disney - as in, Disney Junior. The concept of one world merging with Enchancia is courtesy of writer Ghost Archer...at least I think so, judging from what I read thus far.**

* * *

-Contra: Enchanted Corps-

-THE GOOD GUYS-

Bill Rizer - The man in blue who, along with his longtime buddy Lance Bean, shattered Red Falcon's evil plans three times and defeated him forever. But one night on a mission to save Neo City from a robot rampage, they end up sucked into an unknown portal to an unfamiliar world, separated from each other.  
PROFICIENT: Any power-up he can equip into his Contra Rifle, such as the famed Spread Gun  
VA: Arnold Schwarzenegger (though I usually have Bill "voiced" by Bob Buchholz like in _Neo Contra_, albeit uncredited, I'll have the ex-Governator listed as his VA for this story. After all, he _was_ based off of Arnold, who played Dutch in _Predator_.)

Lance Bean - The man in red, typically the "second-player guy" in most _Contra_ games to date. He along with his buddy, Bill Rizer, kicked Red Falcon's butt three times and had so far retained peace and justice throughout our planet Earth. Now he has gone missing during a mission to stop a violent robot rampage from tearing Neo City to pieces, for he and Bill are sucked in through a mysterious portal to an unknown world.  
PROFICIENT: Any power-up he can equip into his Contra Rifle, just the same as Bill's  
VA: Sylvester Stallone (the very same man who played Rocky Balboa and John Rambo in two respective franchises.)

Princess Sofia - An 8-year-old, young village girl who became a princess after her mother married King Roland II. She is friendly, kind and adventurous. Ever since she was brought into the royal family, she became the bearer of the mystical Amulet of Avalor which gave her the ability to speak to animals (though it cursed her once) and summons the Disney Princesses to help her. One day after school, she would cross paths with Bill Rizer, said to be stranded from a mission gone wrong, but no sooner than he arrived did the robot rampage extend itself into Enchancia. With the aid of a special artifact called the Enchancian Wand, crafted by the Three Good Fairies, Sofia joins Bill on a quest to not only rescue his best friend Lance Bean, but also find out who's pulling strings in those invasions.  
PROFICIENT: Magic (though she is still in training to master all kinds of Enchancian magic)  
VA: Ariel Winter

-THE BAD BUNCH-

Deadeye Joe - A cold-blooded mercenary-for-hire with an intent to fight his own battles his way, oftentimes in a variety of battle mechs. He appears to be almost 100% mechanical, save for his head.  
PROFICIENT: Battle mech-piloting expertise  
VA: Sam Riegel (voice like Starscream from the three Transformers games: _War for_ _Cybertron_,_ Fall of Cybertron_, and _Rise of the Dark Spark_.)

Colonel Bahamut - Formerly a hero who fought during the Alien Wars, nowadays a power-crazed madman who attempted a coup d'état to overthrow the government. It was stopped in time, but the colonel fled and had not been heard from since. Word on the street, however, is that he is conspiring with Red Falcon to ensure his complete resurrection from the dead...  
PROFICIENT: His military know-how, not to mention dictatorship  
VA: Clancy Brown (Lex Luthor's well-known VA from a number of DC Comics shows with Superman around, such as _Justice League_.)

Red Falcon - The king-sized alien warmonger, hellbent on domination, was responsible for his attempted invasion(s) on Earth. He may have been defeated by Bill Rizer and Lance Bean during the Alien Wars, but rumor has it that he is still alive somewhere - just not by physical means. Appearance-wise, his earthly body is mostly a cross between a skeletal dragon and a chimera, though his main ugly-looking head and two alien head-like snake arms were only shown in the _Contra_ series to date. Whenever he is weakened (mostly in battle), he's usually seen as a giant one-eyed brain.  
PROFICIENT: *UNKNOWN*  
VA: Rick May (he voiced Andross in _Star Fox 64_)

[More characters will be revealed throughout the story as Bill's quest in time progresses...]

-POWER-UPS-

Like in _Contra: Hard Corps_, the power-up slots are represented by the letters A, B, C and D. Each character has his or her own set of weapons/magic spells; one for each slot. Bill and Lance share the same weapon array, while Sofia has her own set. Bill and Lance's Contra Rifles will display a digital letter (A-D) atop to represent whatever weapon is currently equipped; Sofia's Enchancian Wand will change colors instead. Basically, picking up an "A" upgrades the user's default machine gun/rapid-fire spell, whereas B, C and D are different for everyone from separate worlds in this story.

Bill Rizer and Lance Bean's Contra Rifles: Thanks to advanced technology, they are both immune to their own shots just the same, regardless of whichever power-up they use. Additionally, their guns had been modified from the Alien Wars incident; now they have four different weapons to carry at once rather than just two at a time.

A - **Vulcan Laser:** Functions exactly like Ray Poward's - a quick, repeating laser that not only replaces the default machine gun, but is slightly more powerful as well. It can pass through barriers, too.

B - **Crash Missiles:** The strongest of all the power-ups available for use with the Contra Rifle in terms of firepower, and splash damage to boot. The only downsides, on the other hand, are the slow rate of fire, limited range prior to detonation, and only three blue missiles can be launched at a time.

C - **Spread Gun:** Fires five bullets in a wide arc, good for clearing a group of lesser enemies. It can also inflict great damage up close like a typical shotgun.

D - **Homing Missiles:** The weakest power-up available for the Contra Rifle in terms of firepower, but the Homing Missiles do just that - seek out enemies like bees chasing a honey-dipped bear.

Princess Sofia's Enchancian Wand: Given by Flora, Fauna and Merryweather in order to assist Bill Rizer in his quest to rescue Lance Bean, and free both worlds as well. The Enchancian Wand's arsenal of magic spells, powered by Sofia's Amulet of Avalor, thankfully tell the good guys from the bad. If Sofia has two or more magic spells equipped, she must shout "Swapper Switchercato!", followed by the appropriate letter in order to use a different spell. For example, whenever she wants to use Star Chaser she should utter "Swapper Switchercato, D!" but only if it's in her wand's arsenal. Otherwise, it doesn't do anything.

A (Purple) - **Ripple Laser:** Oval-shaped blue lasers come out of Sofia's wand and expand until they are twice as wide as herself while moving forward quickly. But just like in the _Gradius_ games as well as _Neo Contra_, while the Ripple Laser lacks exceptional firepower, its speed and width both make up for it.

B (Pink) - **Cannonball:** Giving "Boom goes the cannon!" a whole new meaning on Sofia's part, this magic power-up shoots a black cannonball, big as a ten-pin bowling ball, with a puff of smoke from the tip of the wand. It doesn't explode upon impact like Bill and Lance's Crash Missiles do; rather it goes poof after hitting something, or bouncing and rolling on the ground for three seconds. While only one cast-iron ball is launched in a downward arc at a time, Sofia can charge up her wand to determine the ball's distance and damage. Of course, she'll have to hold the wand with both hands due to the knockback from each projectile - and hope she's not standing near a bottomless pit. Because her cannonballs are enchanted with magic, they'll harmlessly bounce off of innocent people like a soft bouncy ball, but strike the bad guys real hard with the force of a 16-pound bowling ball; that way the princess has no need to worry about friendly fire. When the wand is fully charged up, Sofia must shout the words "Powerhouse Cannonball!" in order to launch the titular shot which will then burst in a purple, flower-shaped explosion upon impact, twice as big as the Crash Missiles'. If she doesn't say those words correctly or if she forgets to do so, her wand will just fire a normal ball for non-explosive damage.

C (Blue) - **Laser Beam:** A single long range, thin beam with good firepower that can pass through barriers. It functions just the same as as the Laser gun from plenty of Contra installments to date, let alone _Contra III: The Alien Wars_, or Sheena Etranzi's Break Laser in _Contra: Hard Corps_. Careful aim should be taken into consideration so it doesn't wind up being clumsy for Sofia's own good.

D (Green) - **Star Chaser:** A rather appropriate name for a magic spell that Sofia can use. In other words, it's exactly like Bill and Lance's Homing Missiles, only star-shaped energy bursts are fired out instead. Equally weak, but seeks out enemies.

**THE STORY OF TIME TRAVEL BETWEEN THE TWO ERAS BEGINS NEXT TIME!**


	2. A new breed arises

Sorry to have kept you waiting! Other than that, here's the first chapter.

**DISCLAIMER: Contra is owned by Konami, whereas Sofia the First is a property of Disney - as in, Disney Junior. The concept of one world merging with Enchancia is courtesy of writer Ghost Archer...at least I think so, judging from what I read thus far.**

* * *

Chapter 1: A new breed arises

[Opening BGM: Title - Prologue (Contra 4)]

The year is 2641 AD...

Five years had passed since the Alien Wars, and only three years after Majors Bill Rizer and Lance Bean of the heroic Contras defeated the evil Red Falcon's partner-in-slime, Black Viper, with the help of First Sergeants Mad Dog and Scorpion. Mankind was slowly beginning to recover, all the while trying to forget the damage those two monstrous commanders of sheer terror inflicted upon our planet Earth. Nevertheless, civilization was still in turmoil, the extreme concentration of people and goods in the few areas having turned the cities into hotbeds of crime after escaping the sheer devastation. To make things worse, the rapid development of genetic engineering and cyborg technologies during the war had spawned a new, fearsome type of crime unimaginable before the conflict.

To combat this threat, a government agent known as Commander Doyle had set up a special team of elite troops, the "Unified Military Special Mobile Task Force." Taking the name of the heroes who had saved the planet during the Alien Wars, the public called them the Hard Corps. Bill and Lance were amongst the first heroes to have joined the group with high hopes that more people would follow in their footsteps someday.

It's the holiday season in Neo City with festive decorations all over the place, its citizens looking for a respite from the usual hustle and bustle. But unknown to the populace, the forces of evil were using this otherwise peaceful moment to advance their dark plans. Someone infiltrates the city's defense computer complex and unmanned weapons begin to run amuck on the streets, attacking the populace at random. Buildings were wrecked, people were being hunted down like sick dogs, and no sooner had the city been set ablaze by enemy fire.

"...And as you can clearly see, our world is once again in chaos," briefed Commander Doyle. "Our security has been breached by an unknown hacker, but that's not the only problem. Reports also indicate an unmanned robot is running rampant throughout Neo City, killing people and wrecking buildings as it pleases. Majors Bill Rizer and Lance Bean, I want you to proceed to the area ASAP and restore order!"

"We're on our way, chief!" saluted Bill.

"Consider it done," acknowledged Lance.

"In the meantime, we will try to support you by transferring some power-up capsules to your location," said the chief. "Its targeting system isn't exactly perfect, per se, so you'll need to keep your eyes peeled for any of these pods that float by if you intend on upgrading your Contra Rifles."

* * *

[Stage BGM: Neo City (Contra 4)]

Somewhere on the streets of the war-torn city, the rogue robots were casually firing their weapons at random...until all of a sudden, an ATV came ramming them down at an incredible speed! It kept on going until it crashed into a parked car, and out came Bill and Lance through the ATV's windshield, ready to spring into action once again.

"Ready to roll, buddy?" Bill asked Lance. "It sure is good to be back, but let's press on and see what we find about this unmanned robot."

"True that. We can't let these mechanized mobsters bully us around like this!"

The robots took note of Bill and Lance's presence in the scene of the crime and turned their attention towards one sole objective: vaporization on sight. The two Contras returned fire on the enemy, shooting down two power-up pods that flew over them. Bill got the "D" icon, adding the Homing Missiles to his Contra Rifle, whereas Lance picked up the "A" icon to upgrade his own gun's default weapon into its Vulcan Laser form. Afterwards, a mechanical spider busted out of a damaged building's entrance with its flamethrower at the ready. The Contras jumped over the stream of fire and counterattacked the machine, igniting its fuel tanks in just seconds. It malfunctioned from the damage, causing it to pause momentarily just before speeding off to the right, prompting Bill and Lance to jump over it again as it crashed into another building and exploded, causing it to fall over for them to use as a ramp to proceed once more.

No sooner than they reached the rooftop of another destroyed building did they notice a giant one-eyed robot walking in the horizon, firing a sweeping laser across the streets that caused columns of fire to explode from the ground, moving from the far left to the right. Once the damage was done, the cyclops jumped up high and landed itself next to the building Bill and Lance were on, nearly crushing them. Realizing they would be next to be incinerated by the fire columns, Bill and Lance aimed their Contra Rifles up high and shot the giant robot's red eye as it fired the sweeping laser again, narrowly avoiding the flames prior to blowing the cyclops to pieces of scrap metal. Then two more power-up pods were teleported here, granting the "B" and "C" icons for Bill and Lance to pick up after shooting them.

"I'll take the Spread Gun," said Bill, installing the "C" icon into his rifle.

"I've got the Crash Missiles," added Lance, putting the "B" icon directly into his own gun.

After exchanging words with each other, the Contras jumped onto two rotating platforms in order to reach the third, stationary one. Hanging onto it for dear life, they braced themselves as it spun them around and flew forward onto the ground, right before it got blown up by the supposed unmanned robot standing on the rooftop of a nearby building.

[End BGM]  
[Boss BGM: A Spirit of Bushi (Contra: Hard Corps)]

"That's not the unmanned robot!" noted Bill. "Somebody is inside that thing!"

The robo-suit jumped down from the roof onto a parked car, forcing the Contras to jump out of harm's way as it got smashed into pieces. Brandishing a gun in its right hand, the robot jumped to various parts of the makeshift arena, including two raised platforms, while periodically shooting at Bill and Lance while standing or ducking. Bill held on to his Spread Gun while Lance backed him up with the Crash Missiles, their combined firepower blowing away the robot's gun in the process and knocking it backwards momentarily. But then it jumped back up and did a laughing pose, detaching its torso which sprouted blades and flew up to chop the skyscraper in half. Then the torso re-attached itself, while the Contras wasted no time attacking the robo-suit's weak spot and ducking beneath the spinning blades. The robo-suit switched its attack pattern and dashed forward, knocking Bill and Lance over (and taking away their Spread Gun and Crash Missiles). Then it did a cocky dance, thinking it had done the impossible, shortly before the Contras blew it up, revealing its pilot: a tall, cybernetic man with a half a blonde mullet on his head, along with an implant that covered his right eye and his body almost entirely mechanical.

In a nutshell, he appeared to have been once a human mercenary-for-hire before he ended up like this today, leading Bill and Lance to assume he was heavily injured at one point and had to be surgically converted into a cyborg to survive.

[End BGM]

"Who, or what, are you?" asked Lance.

"Heh heh heh...you can call me Deadeye Joe," introduced the cold-blooded mercenary-for-hire. "If you wanna know more than that, then come and get me!" He flew off in his jetpack just before Bill and Lance recieved a distress call on their video communicators.

_This is Dr. Geo Mandrake of the research center. If anyone can hear this transmission, please come and help! We are under attack by an unknown group!_

"Damn!" cursed Bill. "What should we do?"

Lance thought for a moment. "Hmm...if we chase Deadeye Joe now, chances are he's intent on distracting us from the real objective at hand. I say we rescue the research center on the double!"

Bill nodded in agreement. "Good idea, Lance. Let's just hope we can get there in time..."

* * *

[Stage BGM: Port Town (F-Zero GP Legend)]

And so the Contras requested two hoverbikes from Commander Doyle, who had said bikes teleported to their location. Then they sped off to the west on the freeway.

"Crap! At this speed, we'll never get there in time!" But before Lance could say anything else, he noticed a high-tech plane with a railing on its bottom passing by and hovering above him and his buddy.

"Hey gang! Looks like you're having some trouble," called the vehicle's pilot from the driver's seat. "Grab onto my machine and I'll take ya to where ya want to go!"

"The Air Police... You guys sure have good timing!" complimented Bill, jumping off his bike and onto the plane's railing while Lance followed suit.

"Look out! One of the bad guys is coming up from behind!" The group saw an armored tank rushing on the highway and plowing through Bill and Lance's bikes, blowing them up, and then maintained its position behind the plane in order to fire a volley of missiles, each breaking open to reveal a jetpack-mounted robot with a laser rifle in its hands. Bill and Lance jumped over the missiles and blasted the robots that came out, sending them hurtling into the tank to damage it. After gunning down a total of six jetpack robots, the tank blew up, leading the Air Police cruiser to take Bill and Lance high into the clouds.

Without warning, a lone robot soldier with a jetpack flew into the scene and launched his grappling hook onto the allied plane's railing. Bill switched over to his Homing Missiles and fired away, forcing the robot off the plane but for a moment. He reappeared for an encore after Bill and Lance jumped onto the body of the aircraft with their boots' magnetic technology turned on so they wouldn't be blown off easily by the maximum velocity. This time the robot was chasing the plane and shooting occasional downward angled laser beams at the Contras, who retaliated with their own shots until he crashed and burned. Finally, an enemy hydra plane in the form of a huge blue aircraft descended from out of nowhere to fire a tri-barreled gun on each of its wings, wielding a flamethrower on its nose. The pilot of the allied jet maneuvered out of harm's way so as to not get shot down, but the enemy craft remained somewhat unpredictable. Bill and Lance used whatever firepower their Contra Rifles still had in order to destroy the hydra plane, keeping their aim as steady as possible. When the enemy craft burst into flames, it smashed into the Air Police cruiser, bringing the group down with it.

"Rats!" grunted the pilot. "We took one... We're going down! It'll be a rough landing!"

[End BGM]

The plane skipped across the ground a few times before finally crashing and skidding to a halt, whereupon Bill and Lance were thrown onto the ground. Luckily for them, the plane crash-landed right at the doorstep of the research center! On top of that, they were still able to receive support from Commander Doyle's technicians as two power-up capsules appeared over them. Bill got back his Spread Gun with the "C" item, while Lance got the "D" item for the Homing Missiles this time.

[Stage BGM: Gekokujoh Norakura (Contra: Hard Corps)]

They blasted open the door with their Contra Rifles and ran inside to encounter Dr. Mandrake, an elderly scientist about a few inches shorter than them, surrounded by a squad of soldiers with guns. When they noticed Bill and Lance, they hesitantly ran away, leaving the doctor behind. "Are you okay?" asked Lance.

The scientist coughed momentarily as though he were just recovering from a traumatic event. "I'm fine, but you must stop them! They're after the alien cell!"

"Alien cell?"

"We got it from Red Falcon's remains in the Alien Wars five years ago," answered Dr. Mandrake. "It's very dangerous, so we were keeping a close eye on it!"

"So the rempaging robot was just a clever diversion after all!" stated Bill. "Good thing you thought ahead, Lance!"

The red-clad Contra smiled in return. "Thanks, buddy. Is there anything else we should know, doctor, or not anymore?"

Dr. Mandrake nodded in response. "Yes. There is just one more detail I must share with you: They're also targeting an artifact from another world beyond time and space, called the Amulet of Avalor. We don't know a lot about its origins, but it is said to possess a magical power of unimaginable proportions!"

"We'll keep an eye out for that as we go along," commented Bill. "Thanks for calling us in to help, doc!"

* * *

Now it was time to go after the terrorists. As Bill and Lance entered the next chamber they were swarmed by soldiers left and right, snipers on platforms and laser sword-wielding troopers running on the ground. Had Bill not picked up the Spread Gun, he and Lance would have surely been overrun by now and lost their Contra Rifles' power-ups. They made sure to shoot at every angle as they ran on through, climbing up the wall to take out the enemy soldiers taking potshots at them, and reaching the top of the research center. The "A" and "B" power-up capsules showed up for Bill to shoot, picking up the Vulcan Laser for the default machine gun while letting Lance get his Crash Missiles back. Finally they entered a huge chamber with a large glass containment unit in the background which had been smashed open. The remaining terrorists here escaped through the door up ahead.

"Aw crap, we're too late!" shouted Bill, just seconds before both doors slammed shut, leaving one large, inescapable chamber. In the smashed container's place was an astral projection of His Ugliness himself, Red Falcon! Only his head appeared on the screen, but even that was merely enough to show off the cross of a skeletal dragon and a chimera.

[End BGM]  
[Alert BGM: Boss Approaches (Contra 4)]

**"Hello, Bill Rizer and Lance Bean,"** greeted the alien monster, his monstrous voice striking fear in the hearts of even the bravest of warriors. **"Surprised to see an old friend? You have no idea how special this moment is for me. This is no chance encounter, I can assure you."**

Bill and Lance gasped, the latter being brave enough to speak his word in response. "Red Falcon?! But how's that possible? We crushed you five years ago!"

**"Oh, but you thought wrong! You see, I have just one loose end to tie up before I begin my reign as the undisputed ruler of the universe. I do NOT like to lose! You two were a blemish on what would otherwise be a perfect record of domination, terror, and invincibility. Besides, I'm still a bit miffed about the fact that you managed to defeat me three times in a row. And if that weren't enough, you teamed up with Mad Dog and Scorpion to kill my second-in-command, Black Viper, in _Contra 4_."**

"So you knew about that incident from 3 years ago, too..."

Red Falcon snorted. **"Even in death, or so Black Viper told me right after you sent him to hell. Anyway, to relieve the pain of my humiliation, and prevent you both from being a further pain in my ass, you must die. It's been nice seeing you one last time. Robo-Corpse, do the dirty deed."** His astral image crackled and faded out of existence.

[End BGM]

In Red Falcon's place was a giant skeleton robot with a bluish hue, the very same menace that Bill and Lance encountered twice during the Alien Wars. It appeared as though Robo-Corpse were ready for them this time as he let out an electromagnetic pulse, or EMP, from his eyes, disabling their Contra Rifles and all the acquired power-ups instantly.

"By order of Lord Red Falcon, you'll be destroyed here and now!" declared Robo-Corpse, hiding himself behind the containment unit and throwing in a volley of time bombs all over the chamber.

"Dammit! It looks like we're done for!" panicked Bill.

"It's been nice knowing you, buddy!" cried Lance.

As the time bombs ticked down from 3 to 0, the Contras held hands and shut their eyes tightly, accepting defeat and the inevitable demise. Suddenly, an interdimensional time portal materialized itself out of nowhere, sucking Bill and Lance in just before the time bombs exploded, destroying the entire chamber. Even so, they held on tight so as to not lose each other.

"Wh-what's happening to us?!" worried Lance.

"I don't know, but whatever you do, DON'T LET GO!" shouted Bill.

But without warning, Deadeye Joe appeared again in his jetpack and punched the Contras, causing them to lose their grip and fall through on the opposite sides. He cackled maliciously, having accomplished what Robo-Corpse almost did, and flew away into the horizon of the time portal.

TO BE CONTINUED...

* * *

Where the interdimensional time portal had taken Bill and Lance, nobody knows for sure...at least, not until the next chapter.


	3. Straight to the past

My apologies for the general laziness...and the writer's block I let myself wind up with from my overnight shift at Walmart I've been dealing with.

**DISCLAIMER: Contra is owned by Konami, whereas Sofia the First is a property of Disney - as in, Disney Junior. The concept of one world merging with Enchancia is courtesy of writer Ghost Archer...at least I think so, judging from what I read thus far.**

* * *

Chapter 2: Straight to the past

[Interlude BGM: Somewhere in the World (Final Fantasy IV)]

Meanwhile, on board an enemy flagship, a black-armored alien commander oversaw what happened to Bill and Lance at the very moment they stumbled into the time portal. He suspected they wound up back in time, but he insisted that he follow along to make sure they would not survive, so he ordered his men to activate the flagship's timewarp sequence.

"But why follow them, boss?" asked one of the subordinates.

"Because," replied the Alien Commander, "I don't plan on missing my chance to kill them for good! Time and again they've made me look bad in front of Lord Red Falcon! Not once, not twice, but thrice! My first encounter with them was at the entrance to the Energy Zone back on the Galuga Archipelago, yet they blew up my attack craft like it was nothing! Second time around was at the end of the jungle area back when we zombified the human soldiers of the pathetic GX Army, but despite the sheer firepower of the fortress wall I commandeered, Bill and Lance managed to destroy it, leaving me for dead once again!"

"And the third time?"

"I was assigned as the captain of the alien mothership that the insipid Contras encountered while on their puny jet bikes. Not only did they outmaneuver our unconventional armaments, their allied helicopter helped them blow up our mothership, this time killing me instantly! Grrr, just thinking about those two makes me RAGE! That is why I'm ordering you to timewarp into this sorry excuse for a human kingdom I heard so much about. I'm not letting Deadeye Joe take all the credit just so he can pay tribute to my-I mean, our superiors! Man your armorsuits and invade this Enchancia if you must, but bring Bill and Lance to me so I can dispose of them personally when they're down!"

Another of the Alien Commander's associates spoke up, "Boy, you were lucky one of our masters managed to clone you back to life, boss. Say, uh, what about that Amulet of Avalor they kept yammering about lately?"

"...Steal it, and bring it to me as well. I don't care who owns it; I wanna be the one who contributes to Lord Red Falcon's true resurrection, not Deadeye Joe!"

[End BGM]

* * *

[Overworld BGM: Tenderness in the Air (Final Fantasy V)]

Out of the mysterious portal did Bill end up in another time and place, separated from Lance due to Deadeye Joe's last-second intervention. He fell smack dab into the grassland, losing his grip on his disabled Contra Rifle in the process. The last thing he saw was not a city under siege, but rather a pristine land from out of a fantasy storybook, before passing out. Just then, three children came rushing towards him.

"What was that thumping noise just now?" asked the voice of a young boy.

"And who...or what...is that?" came a young girl's voice. "I'm getting Baileywick!"

Another girl's voice sounded, only it was serene like a heavenly angel. "I don't know, but it looks like this guy's hurt. Let's bring him back to the castle and see if dad can help."

* * *

"...Uhhh...wh-where am I...?" asked Bill, opening his eyes.

"Oh, what a relief! I thought you'd never wake up!" The little girl, wearing a purple ball gown and ballet slippers, breathed a sigh of relief.

"Wait...I'm not dead, am I?"

"No, you're actually alive. You were just unconscious, that's all."

"Then I must have somehow gone back in time. What is this place anyway, and who are you guys?"

"I'm Princess Sofia, these are my step-siblings, Prince James and Princess Amber; and the other two are my parents. You're in Enchancia, one of the three fair kingdoms in our world."

"Glad to hear you're okay," said Sofia's father. "I'm King Roland, this is Queen Miranda, and these are the three headmistresses at Royal Preparatory Academy."

The headmistresses took turns greeting Bill, each introducing themselves as Flora, Fauna and Merryweather. Commonly referred to as the Three Good Fairies, they were clothed in medieval-styled dresses with a particular color predominating, along with matching capes and pointy hats secured to their heads with colored veils. Flora's dress was red, Fauna's was dark green, and Merryweather donned a blue dress, her favorite color. "Nice to meet you," greeted Flora. "We've taken the liberty of fixing up your metal staff-like thing you had."

"Actually, it's...erm..." Bill paused momentarily to think up a different name for his M16 machine gun so as to not frighten the others. "Where I come from, it's an enchanted artifact capable of firing different weapons, but it can only be used for good as it can never harm the innocent; no evil can touch it. It's commonly known as the Contra Rifle...but unfortunately it got disabled by that giant skeleton robot named Robo-Corpse, whom I fought alongside my best friend Lance Bean in my time period. Somehow he gained the ability to disrupt our Contra Rifles with his EMP, or electromagnetic pulse."

"Electro-what now?" wondered Fauna.

_Oh, that's right...EMP was never invented in medieval times,_ thought Bill, prior to speaking again, "EMP is basically a burst of electromagnetic radiation, a curse designed specifically for Robo-Corpse by his master, an evil dragon-like overlord known as Red Falcon, to counteract our Contra Rifles. But, I appreciate your efforts to fix it."

"Not a problem at all," said Merryweather. "Say, what do you call yourself?"

"My name's Bill Rizer. My buddy Lance was supposed to be with me, but we got separated by Deadeye Joe, a mechanical mercenary with evil intentions, just before we ended up here. Because of this, I have no clue where Lance is...at all."

Sofia raised her right hand. "I can help you find him. Trust me, I know a lot about Enchancia, and-"

Bill interrupted, "Red Falcon's henchmen, consisting mainly of aliens, robots and corrupt soldiers, are likely to be coming all the way here just to kill me and Lance, _and_ even steal this Amulet of Avalor."

Everybody gasped in fright. "This sounds bad..."

"I know, but I've got to stop them before they extend this bloody war here like they did with Neo City, my hometown! Who knows what they're already planning or who's really in charge of Red Falcon's resurrection from the dead?"

"I'll alert my best men to help you out," suggested King Roland. "Never before have we imagined an invasion from the future..."

"Alien invasion, to be precise. Their technology is obviously too advanced, but I'm not letting it stop me from rescuing my buddy!"

[End BGM]  
[Briefing BGM: The Prelude (Final Fantasy V)]

"Then we believe it's time to bestow upon Sofia the Enchancian Wand," admitted Merryweather. "You are one of our gifted students at Royal Prep so far."

Roland became worried about his step-daughter's safety. "Sofia, are you sure you can help Bill? I can send in my best men to aid you both."

Miranda, however, wasn't too concerned. "I wouldn't worry myself just yet, Roland. Like the headmistresses said, Sofia's one of Royal Prep's gifted students. In fact, I've heard rumors about how the Enchancian Wand enabled its user to utilize the strongest of magic spells to protect innocent people. Could this be true...?"

"Like you always said, mom," smiled Sofia, "mothers know everything."

"And besides, I'll make sure she's perfectly safe while we're helping each other to save Earth in both our time periods," assured Bill.

"Just think," Miranda told her husband, "our 8-year-old step-daughter, the hero of Enchancia."

"Sofia, you have learned plenty at Royal Prep to prove yourself worthy of wielding the Enchancian Wand we crafted long ago for just such an occasion," explained Flora. "Much like Bill's Contra Rifle, it never harms innocent people but packs a powerful punch on the bad guys when used properly. At first, you'll only have its rapid-fire, star-shaped shots at its disposal, but your amulet will summon a useful spell or two when the time is right."

"Really? I thought it just let me..." Sofia was at a loss for words.

"The Amulet of Avalor has plenty in store, so long as its bearer performs good deeds."

_Like when I saved my mermaid friend, Oona, and my amulet gave me the ability to transform into a mermaid myself and vice-versa!_

"More importantly, the wand comes with a force field that will protect its user for five hits. After that, you'll have to wait about 5 minutes before it can reactivate."

"Just like the Contra Rifle does," said Bill. "Fascinating. Well, I guess it's time we got this over with."

"Good luck to you both, and may the Enchancian magic guide you well on your quest!" beamed Fauna.

Before the two unlikely allies left, Miranda offered some encouraging words to her daughter. "Sofia, I want you to know that no matter what happens throughout your journey with Bill Rizer, we're proud of you and we all love you, so always try and do your best." She then hugged Sofia and kissed her forehead. "Bill, protect Sofia as you save our world."

"I'll do whatever it takes to prevent anything bad from happening to her." Bill knelt before the king and queen of Enchancia.

"And Sofia, protect Bill with your Enchancian Wand in case something goes wrong with his Contra Rifle again."

"Will do, and I'll remember everything I was taught all my life. Thanks, mom." The young princess turned over to Bill. "Ready to go, Uncle Bill?"

The blue-clad Contra chuckled at being called an uncle, playfully ruffling Sofia's shoulder-length wavy auburn hair. "Y'know, I've never really had a daughter, much less a niece...but you sure have some spunk."

[End BGM]

* * *

[Stage BGM: Opening Stage (Mega Man Xtreme 2)]

An hour since Bill and Lance's separation from each other, the enemy flagship warped in through the time portal to deploy an army of rampaging robots and alien soldiers, and in just seconds the pristine land of Enchancia was under attack! The finest knights stepped in to defend the kingdom, but many were wiped out in almost no time flat. Just when things looked bleak as a giant robot showed up, Bill and Sofia sprung into action by kicking its head off, forcing it to retreat.

"Ennh?! Who's this suspicious-looking runt in a girly dress?!" grunted one of the alien soldiers. "Alright boys, let's get ridda her and swipe that fancy amulet too! But bring that irksome Bill Rizer back to the Alien Commander in one piece!"

"Evil is not welcome in our fair kingdom!" shouted Sofia, blasting one of the soldiers with her Enchancian Wand. Her amulet glowed brightly, summoning four power-up pods for Bill to shoot down. He picked the "A" and "C" icons for the Vulcan Laser and Spread Gun on his Contra Rifle, while Sofia gathered the "B" and "D" icons. Her wand absorbed them unto itself, granting her two additional spells to use. "Let's see...Swapper Switchercato, D!" The Enchancian Wand turned green, and the young princess fired some green star-shaped energy bursts that chased after the enemies. "Cool! So this must be the Star Chaser."

"Almost like my Contra Rifle's Homing Missiles," added Bill, "which can chase the bad guys like bees going after a honey-dipped bear...err, nevermind."

One of the enemy grunts spotted Bill and Sofia making short work of their cohorts. "D'ohhh, forget destroying this stinkin' town! After them at once! The boss wants Bill and the Amulet of Avalor!"

The headless robot returned to battle, slamming its arms down on the ground in hopes of smashing the heroic duo. Sofia shouted, "Swapper Switchercato, B!", turning her wand pink. Wondering what the other spell had, she launched a powerful shot in the form of a black cannonball, big as a bowling ball. The force of the spell caused a knockback, leading Sofia to realize she must hold her wand with both hands so it doesn't fly off by accident. As soon as the cast-iron ball bonked the headless robot, it bounced back off and rolled on the ground for a period of time before disappearing in a puff of white smoke. "Like my step-brother would say, boom goes the cannon! So that other spell would be the Cannonball. I wonder if I can make it stronger...Uncle Bill, draw that thing's attention away from me!"

"I'm on it, Sofia!"

Focusing on the energy from her Amulet of Avalor, Sofia charged up her Enchancian Wand until it flashed brightly. "Powerhouse Cannonball!" she called out, knocking herself backwards farther as the wand fired the charged shot. It struck the robot hard, detonating in a purple, flower-shaped explosion upon impact, reducing it to a pile of scrap metal instantly.

"Whoa...what incredible power!" exclaimed Bill.

"And a pretty useful spell despite its slow rate of fire!"

"Let me get this straight: your Cannonball spell can fire one round shot at a time, but its distance and power depend on how long you charge your wand, right?"

"I think that's how it works...though that powerhouse bit I did was out of curiosity. Ah, I think I've got it now! So to use a really powerful ball that can blast the evil guys, I have to shout Powerhouse Cannonball while my wand's fully charged, otherwise it'll be just another normal, non-exploding ball. Better switch back to Star Chaser so I don't lose my Cannonball spell. Swapper Switchercato, D!" Sofia's wand turned green again.

The enemy flagship lowered itself to the ground, using its tractor beam to bring Bill and Sofia inside to where the Alien Commander was. Apparently he had seen enough of the battle to end it abruptly for what he claimed as his "exquisite moment."

[End BGM]

"Hello there, Bill Rizer! You remember me from our past three encounters, don't you?"

Bill gasped at the sight. "The Alien Commander...You again?!"

"HAH! I told you I'll survive to have my revenge, for I am immortal! Even if my body collapses or gets blown up, I'll NEVER die until I kill you!"

"Enough of this crap! Where's my best friend, Lance?!"

"I, the Alien Commander, have already taken care of him...What does it look like?! I don't even know where he is, thanks to Deadeye Joe who is so obviously jealous of my supreme-ness! You think you can beat me again? Well, I'll give you and your little friend something to think about! Master Builder, destroy them and bring me the Amulet of Avalor!"

[Boss BGM: Boss Battle (Mega Man X4)]

The black-armored alien stepped away, sending in a large blue, skeleton robot to do his dirty work. It reminded Bill somewhat of Robo-Corpse, but this robot was different. What it did was bang on the floor to drop in some junk parts to "build" a collapsing column out of. Bill switched to his Vulcan Laser while Sofia equipped her Cannonball spell to help destroy the junk bots. Master Builder grew angry at the destruction of its contraption and tried to punch the duo, but they were quick enough to jump out of the way. Then it brought in some more junk parts to make a pair of three-piece crawlers, which Bill and Sofia also took out. Master Builder got mad again and pulled out another batch of junk parts, prior to its inevitable destruction at the hands of the unlikely allies.

When Master Builder was blown to pieces, the Alien Commander came back out and stamped his feet in a temper tantrum. "No, NO, NOOO! NO FAIR! I just finished him yesterday! Alright, no more games! I, the great and unbeatable Alien Commander, will protect this flagship as your Enchancia goes bye-bye!"

"That's a laugh!" mocked Bill. "I've seen better enemy mechs like the one Deadeye Joe used against me and Lance!"

"You don't scare us anymore!" added Sofia. "Not while I still have my enchanted cannonballs to defeat you with!"

"Wha-Watch your mouth!" screeched the Alien Commander. "I'll show you!"

Out of options and mechs, he called in his remaining underlings to back him up as he flew around on his jetpack, taking potshots with his machine gun as he went. Bill switched to his Contra Rifle's Spread Gun and took out the enemy grunts, whereas Sofia strategically changed to her Star Chaser spell to slow down the Alien Commander. Predictably as far as Bill knew, it didn't take much to get rid of the pest, causing him to crash head-first into a big red button on the flagship's controls. A blaring klaxon went off with all the lights flashing red.

[End BGM]

"THANK YOU FOR PRESSING THE SELF-DESTRUCT BUTTON," said a female computer voice in a pleasant manner.

"Oh no...NO! NOOO! Uh-uh, there is NO way in hell I am dying again!" The Alien Commander fumbled around with his head stuck against the controls. Bill, however, fished out a remote control. "Hey HEY! That's my Time Portal Activator you're stealing! GIVE IT BACK!"

"I'm sorry to disappoint you," said Sofia, "but you've caused too much damage to our fair kingdom."

"Let's hope this works, Sofia," wondered Bill. "Grab my hand!"

Without a second thought, the two heroes from both worlds activated the time portal, bringing themselves forward to Neo City in the year 2641 just before the enemy flagship exploded with the force of an atomic bomb, killing the Alien Commander and everyone else on board instantly. Miraculously, though, the flagship had already risen back into the sky after Bill and Sofia were abducted, and by the time it blew up, Enchancia and its denizens were unharmed.

Bill knew it would be a matter of time before he had to explain to Commander Doyle what he had been through, and why Princess Sofia is accompanying him, all the while hoping that HQ finished identifying the hacker behind the robot rampage on Neo City.

TO BE CONTINUED...

* * *

A little word about the "Alien Commander" character I made up: He's actually the robotic version of Deadeye Joe from the "censored" European version of _Contra: Hard Corps_ with all humanoid characters replaced by robots (thanks to Germany's strict laws, at the time, concerning the idea of humans with guns in video games), so I thought why not make him up as a separate entity as opposed to Joe.


	4. A piggish man's junkyard hideout

Here we are with another chapter! I've been thinking whether this was a good idea to make a Contra/Sofia the First crossover (my reason for occasionally pausing), all the while adding in some new tidbits for my Game-Jumping Adventures fic series, and even playing all the way through _EarthBound Beginnings_ (aka. Mother 1, Earthbound Zero) and _Super Mario 3D World_. Then I decided to just continue on anyway - as in take chances, make mistakes, and get creative once again.

**DISCLAIMER: Contra is owned by Konami, whereas Sofia the First is a property of Disney - as in, Disney Junior. The concept of one world merging with Enchancia is courtesy of writer Ghost Archer...at least I think so, judging from what I read thus far.**

* * *

Chapter 3: A piggish man's junkyard hideout

[Briefing BGM: The Returners (Final Fantasy VI)]

BACK TO THE YEAR 2641 - THREE DAYS SINCE THE ROBOT RAMPAGE...

"Good day, you two," Commander Doyle began, facing Bill and Sofia. "I trust you've gotten enough rest while we were figuring out the source of the robots having gone berserk and blew up most of Neo City. Though in the meantime, I never imagined a possibility for time travel..."

"Me neither," said Bill, "but on the bright side, we made it back. I wish I could say the same for Lance..."

"Whoever took him prisoner's gotta be the one behind these mechanized destroyers!" added Sofia.

The chief continued, "Unfortunately, we won't even know who brought Red Falcon back from the dead, but the one silver lining is we've managed to identify the hacker behind the security breach." He ordered a pair of computer technicians to bring up an image of a dark-skinned, piggish man with a black mohawk and what appeared to be cybernetic implants covering his eyes. "His name's Neumann Cascade, the best hacker on the net! Breached our security big time as a first step in his plans... Anyway, he used the panic caused by the robot as a diversion so he could steal the mother alien cell, otherwise known as Red Falcon's DNA, from the research center. Intel suggests that it's very likely there is an organization working behind him. His hideout is under a garbage dump, so don't screw this one up! Oh, and Bill: make sure nothing bad happens to Princess Sofia. Who knows how much damage it'll do to the space-time continuum should anything bad happen to her..."

Sofia nodded. "Don't worry; I'm perfectly safe with Uncle Bill at my side! The magic from my Enchancian Wand will help us both."

"We'll be back as soon as we bust that jerk for sending all those robots after Neo City and Enchancia," acknowledged Bill.

"Before you leave, I'm assigning one of our elite members of the Hard Corps to take over for Lance. He's Brad Fang, the master of hand-to-hand combat. Don't be alarmed by his wolf-like appearance; he's a good guy and we trust he'll keep you two safe."

_The chief's right,_ thought Bill. _For all we know, Princess Sofia could be anybody's ancestor..._

A tall, wolfman marched his way in, clad in a pair of sunglasses and light blue jeans, and cybernetic arms for combat. His right arm had a gatling gun in place of a hand, the left bearing a metallic fist. According to his profile, his proficiency consisted of the strongest weapons imaginable despite being either short-ranged or slow. The wolfman's upgraded version of the regular machine gun, the Beast Shooter, could fire balls of flame in a stream of fire that ripples up and down, essential for passing through some barriers and sweeping enemies. The second weapon in his arsenal, the Power Punch, made use of his left hand to release a short-ranged shockwave of fire. The Flamethrower, on the other hand, utilized his gun arm once more, whilst living up to its name as a short stream of continuous fire. The last weapon in the wolfman's unique arsenal, again making use of his left hand, could be charged up to store energy and, eventually, unleash a huge and devastating laser blast - or rather, Psychic Blaster. But because of its slow rate of fire, the wolfman would have to move out of harm's way to avoid losing that power-up.

"You must be Princess Sofia," greeted the wolfman. "Like the boss said, I'm Brad Fang, but you can call me Fang if you want."

"I'm...honored, Fang." The 8-year-old paused momentarily to gather her thoughts. _That's unusual. Only with my Amulet of Avalor can I talk with animals._

The wolfman chuckled lightly. "Ahh, never seen a wolfman talk before, I guess. But no worries - I'm all for fighting bad guys and alien scumbags alike, and saving the world. I'll help Bill keep you safe and save his long-time buddy Lance before you know it. Wouldn't wanna let the space-time continuum get ruptured all over. So, is this the Enchancian Wand I heard about, since you and Bill got back to the future?"

"Yep! It's got a great variety of spells to help us through our quest, like the Cannonball, and the Star Chaser...really helpful spells!"

"Heh, that kid's sure got spunk!"

"No argument here, Fang," agreed Bill. "So when do we leave for Neumann's garbage dump?"

"Right away, Billy. It's payback time for whatever those scumbags are planning to do with Lance!"

Then Bill turned over to Sofia, handing her what looked to be a face mask. "Where we're going is gonna be awful stinky, even for a kid your age. Here, let me put this gas mask around your head and...voila!"

"Thanks, Uncle Bill," said the young princess-in-training. "I hope our combined powers will see us through this hideout and teach Neumann Cascade a lesson!"

[End BGM]

* * *

[Stage BGM: Contra Overdrive (Contra: Hard Corps)]

A few hours later, the trio of heroes had been dispatched under the dusky sky to the huge junkyard from the Hard Corps' allied helicopter. Immediately a group of bikers came rushing down an enormous hill from the horizon, the sounds of their motorcycles' engines roaring like that of a lion, or so the young princess of Enchancia thought. Two power-up pods flew by for Fang to shoot down and acquire the "A" and "C" icons, granting him the Beast Shooter and Flamethrower in his arsenal. No sooner than he shot open the pods did the bikers jump up with streaks of dust coming from the wheels of their motorcycles. Luckily, Bill kept his Spread Gun for later use and made short work of the bikers, while Sofia chipped in with her Star Chaser spell. Once all the bikers were sent flying from the blown up bikes, Bill whistled for Sofia and Fang to follow suit. The wolfman switched to his Flamethrower and took out the small junk robots that jumped out of the pile. Bill spotted a half-crushed car up ahead which opened up its hood to fire a rocket in the group's direction.

"Sofia, get down!" The blue-clad Contra jumped in front of his young friend to shield her from the rocket with his body, sacrificing his Spread Gun in the process.

"Hang on, Billy!" Fang kicked the rocket away to a faraway place where it detonated harmlessly, prior to blowing up the makeshift turret with his gun arm's Flamethrower and more jumping robots as well. The next car was up ahead, but Sofia was ready for it. "Swapper Switchercato, B!" Her wand turned pink in time for her to pummel the half-crushed car with a well-timed Cannonball, denting its hood so hard it could not open up. Then Bill took it out with his Contra Rifle's Vulcan Laser.

But as a flock of crows flew by, a large junk robot emerged from the metallic pile below, bearing two spiked balls on its tentacle-like arms. It swung both arms around, prompting Sofia to charge up her Enchancian Wand's power while Bill and Fang jumped a few times to inflict some damage on its red eye. Then everyone crouched below to avoid the spiked ball, and rushed backward before the junk robot could crush them with its jump.

"Don't let the spikes hit you!" warned Bill, just as the junk robot prepared to swing its spiked tail around in the style of jump rope.

"Almost...got it..." Sofia grunted in between her jumps. "Okay, here goes! POWERHOUSE CANNONBALL!" Her pink wand shot out the enchanted ball straight at the junk robot's head, completely destroying it in a large explosion. The force of the blast from the Enchancian Wand knocked her back, but Bill was quick to catch her before she fell to the rough ground. "Thanks, Uncle Bill."

"You're welcome, Sofia, but aren't you worried about your dress?"

"Not really. I think my wand should be able to clean it up real quick."

"Save it for when we're able to detain Neumann," said Fang. "Let's keep moving!"

As the trio moved on again, the ground sloped sharply into the depths of the junk pile, revealing an underground hideout with wall-mounted turrets opening up. Fang switched back to his Beast Shooter and took them out, just as Sofia chanted "Swapper Switchercato, D!" to change her wand green again, making the Star Chaser available once more.

"Alrighty, it's time we knocked on the door! Hey Neumann, knock knock!" The wolfman punched the metal gate a few times and blew it apart with his gun arm, and did the same for the subsequent door, leading the trio to the hacker's lair, surrounded with sophisticated machinery and computers alike.

[End BGM]

The piggish man, clad in an orange jumpsuit, snorted in between his evil laughter. "Are we havin' Halloween already? 'Cause you sure don't look so tough!"

"You're that creep, Neumann Cascade!" called Bill.

"Heh heh heh, that's right! I'm the guy who staged these robot attacks and UFO invasions, but anyways, why don't you and wolfie and that little brat try this on for size?" Neumann raised his hands and activated a supercomputer's holographic generator, teleporting both himself and his opponents into a virtual reality world. The dark steel metal ceiling and floor appeared to stretch on into infinity with mist enshrouding the surface.

* * *

[Fight BGM: JB303 (Contra: Hard Corps)]

"Where in Enchancia are we now?" questioned the little princess.

"Welcome to my patented Virtual Zone. I hope you enjoy yourselves!" Neumann pressed a button on a small box-like device strapped to his beer belly, transforming himself into a cluster of stars that quickly formed a constellation of Taurus. This Zodiac sign did more than represent April 21 - May 21 by floating around, swooping down for a dive towards the group. Bill, Sofia and Fang slid away just by a close shave and returned fire, reducing Taurus to a cluster of stars once again. An "A" icon popped out on the floor, prompting Sofia to pick it up for her Enchancian Wand prior to calling out, "Swapper Switchercato, A!" The wand turned purple, leaving the child to wonder what spell it was this time.

Meanwhile, the cluster of stars swirled around and combined into a Pegasus archer-like constellation of Sagittarius. Sofia aimed her wand upwards and fired blue ring-like laser shots. "Amazing! Uncle Bill, what do you think we should call this spell?"

"We'll talk later," said Bill, pounding Sagittarius with the Vulcan Laser alongside Fang's Flamethrower, destroying the energy arrows the archer shot out and reverting it back to the star cluster again, coughing up a "B" icon for Fang to pick up, granting access to his patented Power Punch. Then the stars flew around one more time, bringing out a twin constellation known only as the Gemini.

"How about Ripple Laser?" Fang asked Sofia. "Nice ring to it - no pun intended."

"Ripple Laser...I like that name! Thanks, Mr. Fang!"

The Gemini twins zoomed around the Virtual Zone until they found a place to stop and tip their bowl, shooting a stream of blue energy balls onto the ground in a deadly rain storm. Fang got nailed by a stray shot, reverting his Beast Shooter back to the default machine gun. Bill, on the other hand, managed to combine his Vulcan Laser with Sofia's Ripple Laser spell, stopping the Gemini twins from dragging out the fight. A "C" power-up icon fell out, which Bill grabbed to recover his Spread Gun. As for Neumann, he briefly turned back to normal.

"You fight well, fools...but let's see if you can handle this!"

[End BGM]  
[Boss BGM: R.A.V.E. (Contra: Hard Corps)]

The piggish hacker pressed a button on his device again, turning into a collection of yellow blocks arranged in a large square with a red block serving as the core, hovering in the center of the Virtual Zone. Neumann sent out a cluster of blocks shaped like a capital T, something Bill was able to recognize from an old-school puzzle game he and Lance used to play in high school...

He put aside his train of thought and ordered his comrades to dodge the bouncing T-shaped block and shoot the red core. Neumann, however, changed his attack plan by rearranging the blocks into the shape of a tank. Everyone ducked beneath and hid themselves far away so they wouldn't get hit or run over, whilst Bill encouraged Sofia to use her Star Chaser to stop the tank.

"How many of these forms does this man have?" asked a worried Sofia.

"One more, I hope," answered Fang, readying his Flamethrower.

Neumann rearranged the blocks again, this time into a helicopter. It flew back and forth at the ceiling for a while, and stopped to drop rows of blocks from the foot rail while simultaneously firing off its buzzsaw-like tail blade. Fang managed to swat these stray blocks back with his Power Punch so he and his friends wouldn't be knocked dead, and jumped up to get a couple shots in at the core, causing all the blocks to break apart and Neumann to reappear in his normal form. The Virtual Zone flickered a few times and went into a complete shutdown, leaving everyone back in his hideout with his hands in the air.

[End BGM]

* * *

"It looks like it's 'game over' for you, Neumann!" shouted Bill.

Sofia nodded sternly. "Mm-hmm. I'm sorry to tell you this, but it had to be done."

Neumann sniveled in fear, all the while pretending to cry. "Don't hurt me! I'm just trying to make a buck; it's not personal!"

Fang scoffed in response, not moved one bit by the piggish hacker's whining. "You can save your sob story for the people at headquarters!"

"Aw, c'mon...pleeease don't blow up my poor supercomputer! It means too much to me! I'll tell you guys anything you wanna know, I swear!"

"Get moving, punk-ass scumbag!" Bill covered Sofia's ears so she didn't hear the curse word Fang just said to Neumann.

TO BE CONTINUED...

* * *

Looks like the piggish man's gonna have to cough up the vital information for the good guys. But anyway, I've also been thinking about whether I want to add Brad Fang to my story in honor of _Contra: Hard Corps_. He's one of my favorite characters to use besides Sheena Etranzi, so therefore, I think Steven Jay Blum (or Steve Blum, if you prefer) would suit his voice real well like with Heatwave from _Transformers: Rescue Bots. _As for Neumann Cascade, I found out in a ROM hack of _Contra: Hard Corps_ with the redone English dialogue (which I downloaded from the ROMhacking website.) that his first name is the correct spelling; it was apparently mistranslated as "Noiman" all along.


End file.
